김민수: Good morning, everyone. John, welcome back to Korea. How was your flight?
John Smith: Good morning, Min-Soo. The flight was smooth, but I have to say, every time I visit Korea, I’m reminded of how efficient Incheon Airport is. It puts some of our U.S. airports to shame.
이서연: We do take pride in our logistics efficiency—especially at our major airports. Of course, recent tragedy reminds us that there’s always room for improvement in ensuring smooth and safe operations across the board. If only our domestic logistics network was just as streamlined these days.
John Smith: That’s a good point. Safety and efficiency should always go hand in hand. I know incidents like that are a stark reminder of how complex logistics operations can be. Hopefully, lessons learned from it will help strengthen overall infrastructure. With all the global supply chain disruptions, I imagine things have been challenging here as well.
김민수: That’s exactly why we’re here today. Before we get into the details, I’d like to get a quick overview of the latest logistics trends in the region. Seo-Yeon, could you share your insights?
이서연: Certainly. First, logistics costs have increased significantly—up nearly 18% compared to last year. The biggest drivers behind this are:
- Rising shipping costs: Due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, freight rates on major shipping lanes have surged. Our sea freight costs from China alone have risen by 25%.
- Container shortages: Shipping delays from Chinese ports are making it harder to secure containers, leading to unpredictable delivery schedules.
- Increased fuel prices: Higher transportation costs directly impact our last-mile delivery expenses.
John Smith: That aligns with what we’re seeing globally. Many regions are struggling with freight volatility and capacity constraints. How are we managing the impact on delivery times?
이서연: Unfortunately, lead times have increased by 2 to 3 days on average, and for some areas, it’s even worse. Jeju and remote provinces are experiencing delays of up to 5 days.
김민수: That’s unacceptable, especially given our commitment to next-day delivery for most orders.
John Smith: Right. How is this affecting customer satisfaction?
이서연: We’ve seen a 12% increase in customer complaints regarding late deliveries. This is hurting our brand perception. Some customers are even switching to competitors with more reliable fulfillment networks.
김민수: That’s exactly what we need to fix.
박준호: From a tech perspective, our biggest challenge is real-time visibility. Our current WMS (Warehouse Management System) and TMS (Transportation Management System) are outdated.
John Smith: What specific limitations are you facing?
박준호: First, lack of real-time tracking. Our TMS doesn’t offer accurate ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) predictions, which makes it difficult to proactively address delays. Also, inefficient routing. Our system doesn’t consider real-time traffic data and weather conditions for route optimization. I also want to mention manual warehouse operations is a problem. We still rely heavily on manual scanning, slowing down order processing.
이서연: One area we can improve immediately is demand forecasting. If we can predict demand more accurately, we can pre-position inventory closer to key markets.
John Smith: Alright, let’s get into the specifics of the AI-powered forecasting tool. I know your team has been working on this for a while. Where do we stand now?
박준호: We’ve already completed the proof of concept (PoC) phase, and the preliminary results look promising. The AI model has improved our demand forecast accuracy by nearly 20%, which should help us dynamically adjust inventory allocation and reduce overstocking issues.
김민수: That’s a good start, but before we move into full implementation, we need to ensure system compatibility. Jun-Ho, any integration challenges with our ERP and existing WMS?
박준호: The integration framework is mostly in place. We’ve designed it to work within our current ERP system, so we won’t need a complete overhaul. However, we may need additional APIs to ensure real-time data synchronization between the AI tool and our WMS.
John Smith: That’s manageable. Do you have a timeline for full deployment?
박준호: If we get the necessary budget approval this quarter, we can start phased implementation by Q3, with full deployment by early next year.
이서연: Once the system is live, we should see reduced stockouts and improved fulfillment efficiency within the first few months.
김민수: Alright, let’s finalize the budget proposal and get the necessary approvals. If HQ supports part of the funding, we should be able to move forward without delays.
John Smith: Agreed. I’ll review this with our global IT and finance teams. Let’s align on a funding structure and get this moving.
김민수: John, what kind of support can we expect from HQ?
John Smith: We’re launching a global supply chain visibility platform that will provide real-time tracking and predictive analytics across all regions.
박준호: That could be a game-changer. When can we implement it?
John Smith: If we prioritize Korea as a pilot region, testing could begin in Q3 this year.
김민수: That’s great news. But we need to discuss budget allocation. Will HQ cover the costs?
John Smith: We can partially fund it, but we’ll need a cost-sharing agreement with the Korea office.
김민수: We’ll need to evaluate the ROI (Return on Investment) before committing. Seo-Yeon, can you prepare a cost-benefit analysis?
이서연: Of course. I’ll outline potential cost savings from reduced shipping errors and faster fulfillment.
김민수: To summarize, our key action points are:
- Upgrade WMS & TMS with real-time tracking. (Jun-Ho to lead IT integration)
- Pilot AI-based demand forecasting for better inventory planning. (Seo-Yeon to coordinate with data team)
- Assess feasibility of regional fulfillment centers. (Min-Soo to review cost-benefit analysis)
- Collaborate with HQ on the new supply chain visibility platform. (John to provide updates by Q3)
John Smith: Solid. I’ll push for HQ support, but let’s also explore local partnerships to enhance last-mile delivery efficiency.
김민수: Agreed. We will move forward and keep you updated.
이서연: Looking forward to it. And John, next time you visit, I hope we’ll have a much smoother logistics operation to showcase.
John Smith: I’ll hold you to that! Thanks, everyone.
김민수: Great. John, we’ve made a reservation at a place that serves really good galbi-jjim (braised short ribs). Thought you might enjoy it—how does that sound?
John Smith: That sounds perfect! I had it once before, and I’ve been wanting to try it again.
박준호: Good choice. This place is known for slow-braised ribs with a deep, rich flavor. And if you're feeling adventurous, they have a spicy version too.
이서연: If you want, we could add some makgeolli—Korean rice wine. It pairs really well with the dish.
John Smith: (You’re making it hard to say no! Let’s go for it.
김민수: Alright, then. Let’s wrap this up and head over. Great work today, everyone.
(회의 종료.) | 
